The present invention generally relates to an information recording, reproducing apparatus, and more particularly, to an information, recording, reproducing apparatus for recording, reproducing information on a disk shaped recording medium and a card shaped recording medium and an operation mode switching means for a matching property of superior control apparatus as represented by a host computer.
Since optical disks are higher in recording density and can be recorded, reproduced with non-contact in recent years, they are longer in the service life of the medium, are considerably faster at random access in performance as compared with a medium such as tape or the like. Many propositions are provided such as a CD (Compact Disk) with audio signals as a reproducing exclusive machine being recorded digitally on it, a VLP with video and audio signal of pictures and so on being recorded on it, a picture image file as a recording, reproducing machine, a data file, a document file and so on. Especially, data files using optical disks are used as large capacity removable media or as substitutes of fixed magnetic disks, which is generally called as a hard disk under the control of many generalized system control programs (hereinafter referred to as OS) by a specific computer manufacturer such as UNIX, MS-DOS or the like.
A method of corresponding the information recording, reproducing apparatus to a different specification for each OS of many types as described hereinabove comprises steps of arranging, exchanging as many as necessary what stored the respective OS executive softwares in the ROM and so on of one chip, of arranging, mounting the control program of the apparatus provided with all the specifications corresponding to the respective types of OS, of operating switches for transferring use provided in the apparatus interior, of switching the mode and using it. As one example, a dip switch or a jumper switch on the apparatus printed circuit board is used as a switching means to specifications corresponding to the respective types of OS. The present invention relates to improvements in the following characteristics of the information recording, reproducing apparatus having the above described operation mode switching means.
One example of the information recording, reproducing apparatus having the conventional mode switching means will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an optical disk recording, reproducing apparatus as an information recording, reproducing apparatus having the conventional mode switching means, and shows one embodiment of the general construction of the optical disk recording, reproducing apparatus which is an information recording, reproducing apparatus.
In FIG. 12, reference number 21 is a disk shaped recording medium (hereinafter referred to as optical disk) which is a medium capable of recording, reproducing the above described data, reference number 22 is a recording, reproducing head which is the recording, reproducing means for effecting the recording or reproducing operation, reference number 23 is a disk motor for rotating the above described optical disk, reference number 24 is a recording, reproducing head control portion for effecting the positional controlling operation of the above described recording, reproducing head, reference number 25 is a signal processing portion for effecting demodulation of the signal to be reproduced by the above described recording, reproducing head, and effecting modulation for recording with the above described recording reproducing head, reference number 26 is an apparatus control portion for giving an instruction to the above described disk motor, the above described recording, reproducing head control portion, and the above described signal processing portion, reference number 27 is an interface for communication with the host computer 28 as the higher control apparatus, reference number 29 is an ID switch for setting the selection identification address from the host computer. Reference number 30 is an ejection switch for ejecting the optical disk. Reference numbers 31, 32 are dip switches to be mounted on the print basic plate and so on within an apparatus for effecting a mode switching operation.
FIG. 13 explains the internal construction of an apparatus control portion 26 in the conventional embodiment. Reference number 26-1 is a CPU for effecting of the execution of the program to be preserved in the ROM 26-3. Reference number 26-2 is a RAM for temporarily storing the data to be fed from the host computer, and for using as a data buffer for effecting the production and so on of the error correction/error correcting information in the recording operation on the optical disk or in the feeding operation to the host computer the data read out from the optical disk, reference number 26-4 is a control signal input, output portion to be connected with a disk motor 23, a recording, reproducing control 24, an ID switch 29, an ejection switch 30, a dip switch 31 for an operation mode setting use, a dip switch 32 for operation mode setting use, and so on.
An information recording, reproducing apparatus constructed as described hereinabove will be described hereinafter in the operation mode switching operation.
In the present invention, the dip switch 31 is a switch for switching an optical disk specification mode and a fixed magnetic disk specification mode. When the operation mode switching is effected, the sheathing case of the apparatus is disengaged, the dip switch 31 mounted on a print basic plate and so on is closed, the sheathing case is engaged again, and thereafter, the mode is operated as the optical disk specification mode by the operation switch application. Open the dip switch 31 and put the operation supply switch to work, and the mode is operated as the fi re d magnetic disk specification mode.
The operation after the above described respective operation mode switching operations will be easily described. Report that it is a fixed magnetic disk to the host computer with the dip switch 31 being open, and the optical disk reproducing, reproducing apparatus can be used as a substitute of the fixed magnetic disk. As one example, when a standard for prescribing the connection relation (hereinafter referred to as interface) of the arrangement of the signal wire with respect to the superior control apparatus, and signal forms and so on are SCSI-2 (ANSI X3. 131-199X standard), the disk is recognized as a fixed magnetic disk if DEVICE TYPE in the "INQUIRY data" to be returned with the "INQUIRY command" for declaring the operation mode of the apparatus on the superior control apparatus is 00H, and a disk is recognized as an optical disk if is 07H.
In order not to take out the recording medium with the above described INQUIRY command being different, the condition of the apparatus being the same as in the fixed magnetic disk, the mode is operated as a manual ejection prohibition mode with the dip witch 32 being closed. The manual ejection prohibition mode is a mode for prohibiting it, because a problem is generated when the medium is ejected during the use if it is used as the fixed magnetic disk.
In a system capable of recognition as the optical disk of the portable medium as in, for example, MS-DOS and so on by the combination of the above described dip switches 31, 32, the optical disk specification mode, the manual ejection permission mode are set and used as an operation mode open both in the dip switches 31, 32. In the case of the system where the optical disk is recognized as a fixed magnetic disk like, for example, UNIX, an operation mode is selected with both the dip switches 31, 32 being closed, they are used as the fixed magnetic disk specification mode and the manual ejection prohibition mode. The unnecessary medium election is prohibited and the disk may be used as the fixed magnetic disk.
in the construction of the information recording, reproducing apparatus having the above described conventional operation mode switching means, more operation modes cannot be switched with restrictions to the dip switch or jumper switch to be arranged on the apparatus printed circuit board. Further, there are cases where the dip switch or jumper switch for operation mode switching exclusive use cannot be disposed on the apparatus printed circuit board by the smaller size, thinner size of the apparatus. The sheathing case of the apparatus has to be opened and the apparatus main chassis has to be taken out for the operation mode switching.